Enbridge’s exposed pipeline ‘puts Rouge Park at risk’

TORONTO – A Canadian environmental group is scolding Enbridge over an exposed piece of underground pipeline in what will soon be a national park in northeastern Toronto.

The section of oil pipe is protruding into the running waters of the Rouge River in the northeastern section of Rouge Park. Spanning more than 40 square kilometres, the park is considered to be Canada’s largest urban wilderness area. The federal government plans on designating the large swath of greenspace a national park. It was two years ago that Enbridge shielded the exposed section of pipe with a temporary blanket of concrete blocks. The section of pipe had been left exposed after running water eroded that part of the riverbank. One environmental activist at the park Thursday blasted Enbridge for taking its time finding a permanent fix. “It’s extremely risky to have pipeline like this exposed in the river because it is vulnerable to any kind of debris floating down thew river,” said Adam Scott of Environmental Defence, who called the concrete shield an ineffective “Band-Aid” solution. “It’s not a safe situation. It puts Rouge Park at risk. It puts the people who live in the area at risk and it puts Lake Ontario, which is just downstream, at risk of an oil spill.” Steve Rankin, an area supervisor for Enbridge who was on scene, insisted a permanent fix was on the way. “We’ve identified that we’ve got an exposed portion of our pipeline due to erosion on the (banks of the) Rouge River,” said Rankin, who acknowledged the concrete blanket is a “temporary” fix. Enbridge spokesman Todd Nogier said the fix is “something that we … have been committed to,” and that a permanent solution will be in place in about two months. Enbrige was recently fined $3.7 million by American authorities for a pipeline leak in July 2010 that contaminated stretches of the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. http://www.torontosun.com/2012/08/03/enbridges-exposed-pipeline-puts-rou…